POC Resistance Enduro Light - Women's Review

With a 13-inch inseam and super lightweight fabric, the POC Resistance Enduro Light is made for racing. It misses the mark with pocket placement and lacks all feminine finesse, however.

Performance Comparison

Fit and Comfort

We followed the sizing chart from the manufacturer when selecting a size small, but felt like we were swimming in these shorts. The waist did not require massive amounts of cinching, so the size chart is probably accurate… but there is not much about the fit that made us think these shorts are specific for women. If you are between sizes, we recommend sizing down as the stretch and roomy cut will accommodate. The Resistance waistline is equipped with velcro adjustment tabs, which are a classic solution to adjust fit in the waist. When the waist was cinched, loads of fabric bunched up on the waistline and there was a small tent of fabric poofing out on our backsides. The legs are straight and really wide, providing more than enough room for athletic quads, even with kneepads.

The wide cut of the leg, however, allows for a whole lot of air movement, which is great for hot days.

Protection

With a 13-inch inseam and a durable polyamide material, the Resistance Enduro Light is definitely meant to be an enduro racing short. There is plenty of room for bulky knee pads under the wide legs, and the length offers excellent protection from brush and harmful UV rays. The fabric is really lightweight, and fortunately, we didn't crash hard enough to really test how well it holds up against rocks, but it seems quite durable.

The oversized legs offers more than ample air movement, but possibly too much for cold days. Water rolls off of these shorts, so if you are caught in an unexpected rainstorm, they've got you covered!

Pedal Friendliness

Because the shorts were so baggy in the leg, this allowed for extra movement of the material. It is a crunchy poly-material that is a little noisy when pedaling. However, the fabric itself is very lightweight and provides ample stretch, making these shorts comfortable and race-ready.

These are one of the few pairs of shorts that do not have a gusseted crotch, making it especially important to get the right size to avoid fabric being caught on the seat.

Pockets

The Resistance Enduro Light is equipped with two zippered pockets on the waistline. They are big enough to stash a smartphone, but we wouldn't recommend this, as it will inhibit pedaling. Lip balm or a gel can be safely stored here, but sharp things like keys, or anything large, will need to be stored in a pack.

We found that the pocket material is quite breathable, so if you store a few bucks here for a post-ride sandwich, you won't have to hand over soggy bills.

Style

Of all the shorts in this test, these look and feel the most like they were made for the guys. We didn't have to cinch the waist much to keep them from sliding down, but the legs are massive, there is gobs of extra material in the rear, and they totally lack any details to indicate that style was considered.

These are basic black shorts that are not ugly so much as they are uninspiring, and made us feel like we had borrowed our brother's shorts.

Value

The Resistance short is durable and lightweight, and for lady racers that need ample legroom for kneepads, they might be worth the price. They are on the expensive side of average, however, and considering the frumpy style and less than optimal pockets, we don't think they are the best value of the bunch.

Conclusion

Testers loved the featherweight material of the Resistance but otherwise, it did not impress. It has lots of technical features that perform well on the bike, but with very little detail paid to fit or style, there are other shorts that perform as well and offer a much more tailored fit.